How to make a club chair into a glider rocker

By adding an under-chair mechanism to a club chair you can create a comfortable and stylish glider chair. (comfortable leather chair image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com)

The comfort of an upholstered low-back armchair is undeniable, but the traditional club chair does not offer you the ability to soothingly rock yourself as you relax in it. Readily available under-chair mechanisms come in different combination options including gliding, rocking, swivelling and reclining. By adding a gliding rocker mechanism to the underside of your favourite club chair you can bring new life to a loved piece of furniture.

Skill level:

Easy

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Things you need

Hardwood strapping

Saw

Drill

Screwdriver

Screws

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Instructions

1

Turn the chair upside-down and unscrew each leg, removing them completely. You should be able to unscrew the legs by turning them with your hand. Set the legs aside.

2

Inspect the bottom of your chair to ensure there is enough space under the seat to accept the glider mechanism.

3

Measure the inside base of your chair and cut the hardwood strapping to fit. Attach the strapping to the inner sides of the chair base by drilling pilot holes and screwing into the chair frame. Build up the strapping until the central opening in the chair is snug enough to attach the glider mechanism.

4

Align the glider mechanism in the base of the chair. Mark the strapping with a pencil to show where the screw holes to attach the glider mechanism will be located. Remove the glider mechanism from the base of the chair.

5

Drill pilot holes in the hardwood strapping at each mark. Replace the glider mechanism in the chair base and align it with the pilot holes.

6

Screw the glider mechanism to the chair base.

Tips and warnings

Sew a slip cover or reupholster your chair with a long skirt to hide the glider mechanism.

Keep the legs from your chair in case you want to convert it back to a stationary chair.

Test the glider mechanism by sitting in it slowly. An unbalanced chair can easily tip over.